October 30, 2016

Be it freshly-shaved truffles or truffle oil, having that distinctive fragrance in our noodles can undeniably add some winning dimension to the staple carb dishes. When truffle meets noodles, sparks fly.

Such a delightful match, I even attempted to cook my Truffle Wanton Mee sometime back haha. But when time or washing up is a concern, nothing beats the convenience of walking into a store and having a bowl of truffle carboliciousness served to you hassle-free.

October 28, 2016

Epiphyte is conveniently located along Neil Road, occupying a shophouse unit that has been transformed into a café space conceptualized to combine food, art and nature.

That's why upon stepping in, you'd see art pieces from the owner's personal collection hanging on the walls. There is also an indoor garden where orchids bloom and natural daylight streams in through the airwell. So lovely.

October 26, 2016

My first glimpse into the culinary world of Waku Ghin by celebrity chef Tetsuya Wakuda wasn't at the restaurant itself, but at its dessert outpost, Patisserie Platine.

Even then, I have been thinking about visiting the award-winning, 1-Michelin Star modern Japanese establishment for the longest time. It is reputed to be one of the very best top fine-dining restaurants in Singapore.

What held me back initially? The hefty $400++ tag for a 10-course degustation dinner. Ouch!

And also, not many friends are willing to part with that kind of money for a meal. But when I had someone who is just as keen and we finally decided to go, the price had already increased to $450++! Ouch! Ouch!

Morale of the story: Why wait? Should have just go when the heart and tummy desires.

October 20, 2016

Headed over to Yo-Good Singapore after our tempura donburi meal at Tensho because we wanted to end our lunch on a refreshing note.

Following the massive revamping of Centrepoint, the grand dame of shopping mall along Orchard Road now spots a much needed facelift with quite a number of new F&B tenants drumming up some excitement. We've checked out Honolulu, Souper Tang, Tensho and of course, Yo-Good, which has its origins in Canada. Singapore is the first South East Asia franchise outpost.

Specializing in Frozen Yogurt, Smoothies, Juices and Popsicles, Yo-Good was exactly what we needed.

October 18, 2016

We all like to check out NEW openings! That would perhaps explain why I bumped into three different group of colleagues when my friend and I visited Tensho during lunch recently.TENSHO (天勝) Japanese Specialty Tendon is the latest venture by Ministry Of Food (MOF) which also owns numerous F&B concepts including AmaSoy, Dolce Tokyo, Social Square, and Ssiksin Chicken.

Following the success of other tendon specialty shops such as Ginza Itsuki Tendon and Tempura Kohaku, I think MOF's boss is pretty smart to spot food trends and quickly jump
on the bandwagon, but whether it's done well is another matter
altogether.

October 16, 2016

It was a moment of déjà vu for me when our meal at Janice Wong Restaurant was over.

Janice who? Janice Wong.

For the uninitiated, she is the acclaimed local pastry chef who has learned from some of the world's best chefs including Thomas Keller, Grant Achatz, Oriol Balaguer, and Pierre Hermé, and is named Asia's Best Pastry Chef by San Pellegrino Asia's 50 Best for 2013 & 2014.

Janice Wong Restaurant is her eponymous flagship establishment for her sweets retail shop that also includes a 40-seater restaurant serving Mod-Chinese savory fare.

This is her latest venture after opening 2am:dessert bar in Singapore's Holland Village back in 2007, followed by 2am:lab as well as outposts in Tokyo and Hong Kong. So impressive for a young woman who is only in her early-30s! However.....

Even so, we had hesitated about visiting Sin Huat Seafood Restaurant for the longest time because of the reputed negativities. Exorbitant prices. "Food nazi" chef. Rude service. Long waiting time. All are infamously as famous as Sin Huat's legendary crab bee hoon dish.

But when we finally plucked up our courage, we were rewarded with the most most most AWESOME CRAB BEE HOON! The best I've ever eaten in my life! #notexaggerating #notanyhowsaysay

October 10, 2016

One of the most beautiful restaurants I've dined at this year is..... Whitegrass.

Situated within the historic grounds of Chijmes, the Australian fine dining restaurant is prettily dressed in feminine shades of turquoise and pastel pink, with gorgeous mural of whimsical motifs of flowers, birds and fishes hand-painted across a side of the wall.

As for the food, it was just as lovely in both presentation and taste. What a heavenly match.

October 08, 2016

Mondo Mio Italian Restaurant is one of the numerous establishments in Roberston Quay which we might have passed by before but never really take notice, until we were made aware recently that the Southern Italian restaurant has introduced a collection of off-the-menu specials on top of a freshly revamped menu in light of its 10th anniversary.

What?! 10 years! I was pretty astounded for it's no mean feat for any independent dining joint to survive this long in our competitive local F&B scene. Foodies (myself included) can be an "unfaithful" bunch as we are always in search of NEW openings, or the next Instagram-worthy darling.

How did Mondo Mio manage to survive for so long? Two reasons came to mind: Either the food is damn good, or .....

October 02, 2016

There is so much more to adore about Vietnamese cuisine besides the ubiquitous pho, banh mi and rice paper roll. That is what we discovered during our recent trip to Saigon Alley.

Located at Novena Gardens (next to Revenue House), Saigon Alley is a casual dining concept serving a range of comforting home-style Vietnamese cuisine inspired by the street food of Ho Chi Minh City and the colorful vibes of Saigon.

We went, we ate, we fell in love with the yummy food and quaint little place.